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One of the urban explorers, who asked not be named, said: “There’s glass everywhere. They’re smashing up the windows. It’s definitely dangerous for children.”

She added that the school opened as Whaddon Council School in 1905 and the main red-brick building was listed.

The former school is derelict

There was a danger, she said, that it could be lost forever if a fire started at the insecure site.

The school closed in 1992 and was sold by Gloucestershire County Council in January this year to Melt Homes, with outline planning permission to convert it into houses.

A statement on the Gloucester-based company’s website says: “The new houses to be constructed on the site will be built in an attractive modern style yet will complement the existing school building. We are currently in the process of satisfying outstanding planning conditions and expect to be in a position to commence our first phase of works on site in mid 2017. This means that the first houses are likely to be completed and available for occupation in early 2018.”

Another view inside the old school

City councillor for Tuffley, Colin Organ, said he felt the site should be made secure because of the risk of a fire starting.

But he said he backed the principle of the former school being converted into houses.

“I would far rather see some housing go there than see it fall into further disrepair,” he said.

In 2015, a planning document submitted by the county council to the city council proposed building ten homes on the site. At that stage it was known as the Tuffley Resource Centre.